Phantom Pain
by The Great Wizard Qui Quae Quod
Summary: Danny is sitting in class when he suddenly feels a sharp pain in his arm. What is going on? Read and find out. Oneshot.


**G****eneral Disclaimer of Everything: **I own nothing.

* * *

"Phantom pain is the perception of sensations, including irritation, soreness, and pain, in a limb that has been amputated. People with this condition experience feelings in the limb as if it were still attached to their body. This is because the brain continues to receive messages from nerves..." the health teacher droned on. Danny stopped paying attention, zoning out again. Across the room, Tucker was playing on his PDA and Sam was sleeping in the back. It was eight thirty on a Monday, and no one was awake. Pauline had nodded absentmindedly, when he wished her a good morning. When Dash passed; he had ignored him.

"... scientists theorize that this imprinting of the mind..."

It was raining out. Ghosts generally avoided the rain. Danny had an uneventful morning, with only one run in with the box ghost. "I am the box ghost. Fear me!" he had shouted before stealing Danny's umbrella and flying off. Yes, there was nothing better than a lazy, rainy Monday. If only he could stop worrying about his cousin. She promiced that she would visit on Friday. Three days later, and he hadn't heard a word from her. He would know if she was in real trouble, but still...

Danny was shaken out of his thoughts when a hot streak of pain shot up his arm. Speak of the devil. It was quickly followed by a sharp jab to his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. As soon as he got his breath back, he raised his hand. He could skip the lesson on Phantom Pain. He already knew all about it.

"... and the nerves from the ... Yes Danny?"

"May I go to the Nurse's office?" Danny asked in a small, strained voice.

The teacher took a close look at him. "I suppose you had better," She said, "You don't look very well."

Danny thanked her and walked out the door. As soon as he was around the corner, he underwent a dramatic change. Two rings of light appeared around his waist. One moving swiftly to his head, and one to his feet. Jeans and a scruffy t-shirt became a sleek black and white jumpsuit. His black hair faded until it was snowy white. His blue eyes lit up with the green glow of ectoplasm. Danny Fenton was not an ordinary boy. He was half ghost.

He doubled over for a moment, as another wave of pain washed over him. Then he turned intangible and phased through the wall.

Danny Phantom flew over the city. He gained as much height as he could and looked for a fight. He hoped it was a fight. Otherwise he would have a hard time finding and stopping the cause of his pain. Sure enough. Two small shapes, one in black and the other in red, were struggling near 'The Nasty Burger'. Flashes of red and green light told him exactly who had interrupted his Monday.

"Vlad," he growled under his breath.

The vampiric ghost in red was holding up the kicking and struggling girl by the neck. She clutched at her throat, struggling to breath. Danny felt his own throat tighten and burn.

"Plasmius," Danny shouted, "What do you think you are doing!"

"Hello, Daniel," Vlad replied, "I'm bringing my daughter home."

"For the last time, she's not your daughter, Vlad." Phantom raised his right hand threateningly. A swirling orb of green rested in his palm. "I won't let you play any more of your twisted games. Now let Dani go."

"Make me," came Plasmius's immature reply.

"My two favorite words," Danny grinned. He launched the orb at him, forcing the ghost to drop Dani, and dive out of the way. Plasmius shot a beam of ecto energy at him, but Danny neatly dodged it and retaliated with a beam of his own. While Vlad was distracted, Dani snuck up behind him and attacked. Vlad grinned savagely, though it looked more like a snarl because of his fangs.

"Two against one is hardly fair," he taunted, "lets even the odds a little, shall we?" Then he split from one ghost into four.

"Hey!" Danny shouted, "The odds are _still_ two to one."

"I thought you wanted it to be a fair fight," Dani added, "How is this fair?"

"It's fair for me. After all, it is the victor that decides what is clever and what is cowardice."

Plasmius flew at Phantom, launching a barrage of ectoplasm. Danny deflected it with a green shield. He summoned a blizzard and Vlad was trapped in a block of ice. Then he turned to see the other three Plasmius copies carrying a struggling ghost girl. "Danny," she called, "Help!"

"Dani!" Danny shouted hoarsely. He knew what he had to do, but Dani was _in the way. _

_"_Dani, duck!" Dani turned intangible, and sank through the floor. The three Vlads tried to catch her. Danny took a deep breath and let out a ghostly wail. The three copies were caught in the sound wave, and thrown into the wall behind them. As each hit, they dissipated with a puff of smoke. The two ghost teens flew off, leaving the Vladsicle laying in the dirt.

"Thanks for the rescue," Dani said.

"It was my pleasure, little cous." Danny replied.

"There is just one thing that I don't get, though," Dani said thoughtfully, "How did you know? How did you know that I needed help?" Danny thought about the phantom pain. He contemplated telling her that because she was his clone, because she had once been a part of him, he could feel it when she got hurt. Danny considered how she would feel. Dani already suffered emotional trauma. Being a rejected clone, an imperfect copy, Dani struggled with her self-confidence and she often felt worthless. Danny had a hard time convincing her that she didn't need to live up to his reputation; that she could just be herself. (See, listening to Jazzy's psycho-babble was paying off.)

"I felt it," He told her, "Right in here." Dannny placed his hand on his heart. Dani made a face. Danny usually wouldn't give such mushy replies, but he didn't want her thinking that he only cared because of the pain. It wasn't true, and the last thing Dani needed right now was doubt.

"I was keeping an eye out for you," He admitted, "You said that you'd be here on Friday. It's already Monday. I was worried, Dani." Not technically a lie. He had been concerned.

"Aww, you care!" Dani teased. Then she gave him a hug. "Thanks." she whispered.

"Anytime," he whispered back, "Whenever you need me, I'll be there. Wherever you are, and for whatever reason. We're family, little cous, and that's what families do.


End file.
